For many people up and down the country, home isn't always the safest place to be when they're in a relationship with a domestic abuser. And these men have made life hell for the people they were meant to care about and love.
These criminals were all jailed at North East courts in recent months over attacks on or the harassment of current or former partners. Many of their victims were left with permanent physical issues as well as emotional scars from their traumatic experiences.
From thugs who turn up at their ex's workplace and threaten them, to those who lead campaigns of abuse against their partners, we've compiled a list of some of those who have been in court recently to face up to their crimes.
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Here are just some of the domestic abusers who have been sentenced over recent months in the North East.
Robert Patterson
Robert Patterson left his former partner battered, bruised, and with a broken arm after forcing entry to her home and attacking her. The victim had ended their five-year relationship due to his violent and controlling behaviour and he had previously been jailed and given a restraining order for assaulting her.
She was at her Newcastle home with her daughters, aged 5 and 21, when she was woken by the sound of a bang in January. Newcastle Crown Court heard how Patterson had broken a glass panel in her back door to gain entry and the victim ran upstairs to call police.
The 33-year-old, of no fixed address, admitted GBH, breaching a restraining order and also assault by beating on the woman's adult daughter, who he pushed past, causing her to fall against a heater and sustain a scratch to her back. He also admitted obstructing police five days later.
Recorder Kama Melly QC jailed him for two years and said: "She describes you punching her to the head and face on a number of occasions, causing a black eye and swelling. You threw her around the room and bit her lip."
Brogan Wright
This knife-wielding thug turned up at his former partner's workplace in a rage five months after the breakdown of their relationship. Newcastle Crown Court heard Brogan Wright had issued threats before turning up at the store in Sunderland carrying a blade.
Helen Towers, prosecuting, said: "Shortly before entering he had called her to say he would punch her in the face, he would stab her to death and made references to stabbing another male. He threw items from the shelves in the shop and used a kitchen knife to slash and stab at some newspapers. He then went behind the counter, causing her to scramble over the counter to escape."
Wright, 24, of Rosalind Avenue, Ryhope, Sunderland, who has seven previous convictions, including for GBH, pleaded guilty to threatening a person with a bladed article and criminal damage and was sentenced to two years suspended for two years.
Johnny McRae
Johnny McRae had been in an on-off relationship with the victim for around three years who described him as being controlling and violent. She ended it in October 2018 but continued to have issues with him turning up at her home and making threats.
In January 2019, she returned home to find him with a brick and he said she was lucky she returned as he was going to put her window out. She went to ring the police but he grabbed her phone then refused to leave her home until the following morning, stealing her phone.
McRae then attended on further occasions, kicking and damaging her door and dragging a sofa outside, saying it was his. He then hit her on the head with a can of air freshener and kicked her leg, causing bruising and soft tissue injuries and a bump to her head leaving her fearing for her life after that attack on January 12.
McRae, 30, of Belgrave Terrace, South Shields, pleaded guilty to harassment, theft of her phone, criminal damage, two counts of common assault and using threats to gain entry. He was sentenced to 20 months suspended for two years with a six month curfew, an exclusion requirement and he must do a building better relationships course and pay £500 compensation.
Shurn Hall
This violent thug rained down blows on his girlfriend's face after she threw a chicken burger at him for refusing to let her use his phone. Shurn Hall left the young woman with permanent damage to her eye in a shocking attack at his home in Blyth, Northumberland.
Hall refused to get her the medical help she needed after the attack on February 12 left her with multiple facial fractures, and a blood clot behind her eye and she is likely to have permanent issues with double vision. In a victim impact statement, she said: "I feel I will never be good enough for anybody and I don't know if I will ever be able to trust another man again. I feel emotionally and physically drained. I have had to wear special glasses and I'm unable to drive."
Hall, of Cowpen Road, Blyth, who has 31 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to GBH with intent and was jailed for five years and four months. He was also given a ten year restraining order.
Michael Lang
Michael Lang kicked, punched, stamped, and spat on a man he was "romantically involved" in a sustained attack after a song made him upset about his ex-girlfriend. The pair had known each other for around two months when they met up on January 7 and consumed alcohol and had a "sing song".
However, their fun quickly turned to violence after one particular song sparked an emotional response from Lang. The victim was left with fractured ribs, a small puncture to his lung, bruising and swelling to his forehead and eye socket, two black eyes, a cut lip and bruising to his body.
Michael Bunch, prosecuting, said: "He said he was scared to leave the house and had panic attacks when there was a knock at the door. He resigned from his job because he was scared to be in public. He says his depression and PTSD got worse and his medication had to be increased. He was unable to move for the first two weeks."
Lang, 22, of Burn Closes Crescent, Wallsend, who has five previous convictions, pleaded guilty to GBH with intent and was jailed for four years and five months and given a five year restraining order.
Michael Jobes
Michael Jobes stamped on his partner's head and threatened to "chop her up" during a brief, but violent relationship. He became "paranoid" and "controlling" during the six-month relationship after believing his then-partner was cheating on him.
The 34-year-old demanded to know who she was messaging before he launched a brutal attack that left her battered and bleeding. In a victim statement, the woman said Jobes' abuse has left her battling with constant nightmares and sleepless nights. She's also had to move out of her home.
He pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, harassment, and criminal damage. Sentencing Jobes, of Windsor Place, Shotton Colliery, Judge James Adkin, the Recorder of Durham, said he became "more and more paranoid and controlling" as the relationship progressed. Jobes was jailed for 22 months and a lifetime restraining order was also imposed.
Louis Wells
Louis Wells turned up to his ex-partner's home uninvited in the early hours of March 28 and subjected her to a violent attack that saw him punch her numerous times and strangle her. The 33-year-old went to the home accompanied by another person who was wearing a balaclava and stood and watched as the attack was carried out.
Soon after, police changed the locks on the woman's home, but Wells returned hours later and kicked in the door and began crying at the foot of the victim's bed - leaving her petrified. Following his arrest, he was taken to hospital where he was abusive to a nurse and then headbutted a police officer who tried to intervene.
Wells, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to criminal damage, assaulting an emergency worker, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Sentencing Wells, Judge Ray Singh said the woman must have been "absolutely terrified" and said it was "clearly pre-planned to carry out an assault on her". Wells was jailed for 20 months and a 10 year restraining order was imposed.
Michael Inwood
Michael Inwood, 32, who has previous convictions for assaulting partners, entered into a relationship with a woman he met on Facebook. But when the woman found out about his domestic violence history, she began asking questions, which led Inwood to begin a campaign of abuse against her.
During one incident in January this year, Inwood became enraged after the woman declined the offer of food from him. The court heard he began to "repeatedly punch her all over her body", leaving her with bruises and other injuries. In a victim statement, the woman said she is now "unable to sleep" and suffers from depression.
Inwood, of North Street, Spennymoor, appeared at Durham Crown Court to be sentenced for three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, which were committed between December, last year and January, this year. He was jailed for three years and a life-long restraining order was also imposed.
Balbinder Singh
Balbinder Singh was kicked out of his then-partner's home after she heard another woman call him "babe" while he was on the phone in the bath on October 17, 2020. The 29-year-old then travelled to a street in South Shields in order to prevent his then-partner from confronting the woman he had been on the phone to.
But after arriving at the street, Singh, of Saint Jude's Terrace, South Shields, who was wearing a dressing gown, "lashed out" with a screwdriver that he'd taken from his then-partner and caused an injury to her arm. He was later arrested.
He pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Singh was handed a 20 month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He must complete 60 rehabilitation days and 100 hours unpaid work. He will also have to complete a Building Better Relationships programme.
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